A Better Place, A Better Time
by UnfunnyJ0CK
Summary: An older huntsman has been placed on team RWBY and is dead set on finding Roman Torchwick, getting the girl and pretty much saving Remnant. However, when he realises that a dark demon from within may endanger his friends (and Weiss), he doubts his own ability to protect them. OC's name is Owain Welsh. Takes place shortly after the teams are formed. M rating for potential smut.
1. Chapter 1

A Better Place, A Better Time

 **So, this is an attempt at freeing my own mind of the insurmountable nonsense that lives up there. I was planning on doing a RWBY AU way back when, but it didn't feel like the right time. This narrative isn't going to veer too far from the original story, however, it will deviate slightly per my own request. Let's just say it takes place somewhere after team RWBY is formed with an additional member on their team. I have a feeling that OC's aren't really favoured in the fanfiction community but this isn't a traditional, "I have a story I want to share, please enjoy", it's more of a way for me to externalise my eternal love for RWBY and the great man who created it, Monty Oum.**

Chapter 1: Piecing it Together

 _ **Nature's first green is gold,**_

An orange glow filled the darkened streets of Vale on a night when, by most people's reasoning, they should be quiet. Within the incandescent bulb's radius, a figure stood clutching a dimly lit lamp in one hand, and in the other, a blade of considerate length. His hand lowered as he lay the light source down on cold cobbles, a dark piece of fabric obstructing its luminosity. The shadow crouched low and looked onward towards a nearby dust shop that had recently been robbed by the infamous Roman Torchwick.

"Suppose he'll think twice before messing with our resident scythe-wielder again." The air separated against the man's deep and raspy voice, knowing better than to stand in its way. It's not as if the air has a way of thinking. It isn't as though it can form opinions or state facts. It couldn't even determine the accent with which the man spoke (a deep British accent). However, it had an inherent feeling; one that told every atom that formed its existence not to be a hindrance. As if air could be as such.

Searching the area for any hidden clue that the police may have missed, he re-positioned himself in an awkward stance, fingering the ground aimlessly. A smirk found its way to his lips and he sighed internally, noting a cigar butt that had been carelessly tossed away. 'Classic Roman.' He thought, before being distracted by a rustling of feet to the rear, but he took no notice, clearly satisfied with the discovery. As the man stood, the long, flowing black coat that he donned whipped around his waist and, soon, nothing remained but the air that had previously been there, metaphorically breathing a sigh of relief at the man's departure.

Elsewhere in Vale, in a rather spacious dorm room, three adolescents were all but finished in taking turns to carry out the inane ritual one does before sleeping. Ruby peeked her head out of the bathroom door with a slight frown beginning to appear, only to fade into stoicism.

"Hey, where'd Owain go?" The redhead's voice nearing a whisper, but loud enough for her teammates to hear. The three girls, to which the question was asked, shrugged in synchronicity. Blake lay upright in bed, her eyes transfixed upon a suspiciously titled novel and she didn't even bother to look up, as doing so would mean losing her place on the page. Weiss sat at her desk, hurriedly scribbling notation after notation after, well, notation, with no signs of stopping, save only for the shrug. Yang stood beside Blake's bed, focusing her eyes on the faunus' book, trying to gain insight into her reading material. However, Yang failed, the absence of light proving to be too much of an obstacle. This was no problem for Blake, of course. The faunus' are well-known for their eyesight. Giving up, the blonde brawler turned her attention to her sister standing in the door frame.

"I dunno, dude said he was going out. Didn't say where." Her flippant attitude arousing some frustration in the small girl and the frown returned with a vengeance, mixed with some anxiety. Due to the light being emitted from the bathroom, Yang noticed her sister's expression and offered some small comfort. "Rubes, the guy's 18, he's his own man and is more than capable on his own."

Suddenly, the dorm's door was opened quietly, with not so much as a squeak from one of the hinges. Had the residents been asleep, they would hardly have noticed it's opening.

Had they been asleep.

"Ahh... bollocks. Thought you ladies would be tucked away in your beddy-bye at this time." Owain spoke with a soft tone, the clock residing on Weiss' desk affirming his suspicions that it was late, even for him. For a moment, no one commented as the dark ranger removed his coat and laid it on the tenterhook protruding from the door. Blake's amber pupils did not leave the book she was reading, Weiss' hand did not cease its incessant writing, the exception being a slight recoil after hearing the familiar curse; Yang stretched her arms above her head, turning to flash a grin in Owain's direction. Finally, after the awkward silence became too unbearable even for her, Ruby raised an eyebrow and began speaking:

"Soooo, where you been?" The sweet innocence of her voice shining through her words as she finished her question, prompting her teammate to respond. Setting himself down on his small but accommodating cot, he sighed and answered the small girl without hesitation,

"Just out." His knew this answer would not satisfy and, although he wasn't looking at Ruby, Owain knew for a fact her expression was inciting him to continue. "I was looking for any traces that Torchwick may have left behind. It was a long shot." Owain smiled and reclined onto his linen laced mattress, finding a comfortable position and laying there.

"Did you find anything?" To everyone's surprise, it was Blake that spoke up, finally deeming the conversation worthy enough to peel herself away from her novel. She dog-eared the page and sat up straight, awaiting a response. A sly grin grew large against the pale face that Owain wore and he fumbled around in his pocket for a short second, only to reveal the same cigar butt from earlier. Unwavering, though his smile was, the piece of evidence did nothing for the raven-haired girl and she simply huffed, "That could be anyone's." Of course, there was truth in this statement. Lots of people all throughout Remnant smoked. Hell, Owain was one of them. However, the cigar was expensive, not common amongst the average citizen and, more importantly, Owain witnessed Roman smoking something similar in design the first time they ever met. The red band that wrapped tightly around the carcinogenic was of specific origin, which meant he had a destination and soon, he would have Roman Torchwick.

"Trust me Blake, it's his. And now I know where we need to head next." His grin grew somewhat as he turned to address all of them.

"A little place I like to call... home."

 **Hope that suffices for now. Any and all reviews are welcome as well as appreciated. Lemme know if you guys want more of this cause I could do with the outlet and the rest of it is already waiting to be put to paper. Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yo. Welcome to the 2nd chapter. No running, shouting or piddling in the shallow end. I realise that both chapters seem short, but that's purely for selfish reasons. Any longer than 1.5K and my attention span tends to wig out. Anyway, here it is. Enjoy.**

Chapter 2: We Are the Few

 _ **Her hardest hue to hold.**_

After a few short seconds, a soft yet authoritative clearing of the throat emanated from the other side of the room.  
"As thrilling as that sounds, it is getting late and we ought to sleep." Weiss' stern voice made itself known for the first time that night. The rest of her team were in agreement and, as the heiress finished stuffing her backpack with the paper she was writing, team RWBY gradually lay their heads on their respective pillows. It would be a short time before all but one member slipped into unconsciousness. Owain lay, his full weight pressing down onto the makeshift bed as his thoughts weighed on _him_ even more so. With a deft finger, he twirled the brown paper filled with tobacco in his hand, a fairly ancient addiction pushing itself to the forefront of his mind. Gods, he needed a smoke. Thanks to his extensive training, the silent huntsman lifted himself off the cot, cautiously tiptoeing toward the door, and opening it with the same discretion as before. Luckily, nobody was conscious enough to notice the slight squeak this time. It was a fairly easy route to the rooftop and, with the height of the shattered moon marking the time of night, well, early morning, there was not a soul around. This meant there were no authority figures to reprimand him, not that they would. No. They knew better than that.

As the pale light caressed the roof's floor, a flick of the thumb, followed by an audible click as flint greeted metal, brought to life a fleeting flame that hovered for a few seconds. The tip of a white cigarette dipped into the fire, only to be drawn away once it was fully lit. Owain inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, allowing specks of ash to drop onto his coat.  
"You know, Mr Welsh, that smoking is against school policy." A familiar voice brought Owain back to reality as he scanned his surroundings. With his signature smirk, he nodded and gave a reply.  
"Well Oz, you could always suspend me. It's a lot of paperwork though and that's gotta be a pain for a busy man like you." Sipping his coffee, the esteemed headmaster sauntered over to his student and leaned against one of the building's many air conditioning vents.  
"It's not as much as you would think. However, I do suppose I could let it slide just this once." Now their expressions were matching and Professor Ozpin pushed the bridge of his glasses further up his nose.  
"You could always join me," Owain's hands quickly produced his pack of smokes and offered it to the teacher, knowing full well he would not accept.  
"I'm afraid caffeine is the only substance for me." With this, he swigged his coffee once more and gazed upon the endless ocean that was the city of Vale.  
"Yeah, you and Oobleck are normal like that..." Owain stopped himself for a moment, before adding, "As normal as Oobleck can be at any rate." The two shared a knowing look until Oz turned his gaze to the streets once more. Taking a long drag from his cigarette, Owain followed the headmaster's eye line where it sat and tried to understand what Ozpin was thinking. It turned out to be a lot more difficult than he had imagined, which was a surprise to the ranger. He could always tell what people were thinking. Owain decided to break the silence: "So, what brings you all the way up here, sir?" His tone more formal than usual, indicating his slight trepidation brought forth by the surprise visit. As though he were addressing no one in particular, Professor Ozpin began speaking:

" _You_ do, Mr Welsh. I know you have been... patrolling these past few nights in search of something. What might that be, I wonder?" Ozpin's eyes were hidden beneath the dark of his glasses, but Owain could tell there was something hinting at something else within them. "I understand that you are a very capable young man, perhaps more skilled than most huntsman and huntresses here. However, I feel it may be not be wise to pursue Roman Torchwick alone" He turned and clasped his hands behind his back, breathing in the night air. To his left, a dark coat formed beside him, with the younger man's face filling his vision, while the face itself filled with a look of defiance,

"Sir, with all due respect, I know what I'm doing." Owain backed off slightly, realising his simmering emotion overriding his manners, before resuming, "Besides, I'm not going in alone. I've already discussed it with my team and they seem willing to follow me on this one." Presuming that the headmaster would be satisfied with this answer, he receded into his more... dissident nature. Sadly, it wasn't the case and Ozpin continued speaking distantly, as though not really there.

"As I recall, I said it was unwise to face Torchwick alone. I didn't intimate that you should involve team RWBY." The professor turned to look directly into Owain's eyes, the calm silence that suffused them causing him to stand up straight. A bubble of anxiety rose to the surface of his mind as he noticed lips twisting air-into-sounds-into-words; words that would inevitably stay with him. "There's a reason I allowed you into this school, Owain. We have more in common than you might think. There are those in this world who would love nothing more than to see its destruction, and those who would rather see it flourish. Glynda, Ironwood, a few others and myself are those who wish to see an end to the creatures of Grimm. But there is something that needs doing before that can ever happen." His demeanour drooped slightly, as did his shoulders. "Alas, I fear that task lands at you and your team's feet." Owain nodded respectfully, not fully understanding the importance of the statement.

"Look, I'm not gonna pretend that I get what you're saying here, Oz. Are you telling me our team is gonna save the world from evil?" Ozpin just smiled, bowed his head and gave an answer,

"No. Evil will always exist, no matter how hard we fight. No... what your team will come up against is far more dangerous than that." A confused look spread across Owain's face as he opened his mouth to say something, but was silenced by Ozpin's hand being raised. "Listen to me, Owain. You must take care of Miss Rose and the rest of your team when the time comes. Even if I'm not here to lend a guiding hand." His newly formed smile faded as he lowered his hand, allowing the other huntsman to speak,

"But... why me?" Although he had a lot more questions that he wanted to ask, Owain simply resigned to this one.

"It's like I said. You and I have more in common than you think. We are the few. Those people left in this world who would see its restoration." As he finished speaking, he pivoted slowly and began walking away. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an academy to run." Owain stood and watched as his headmaster left the rooftop and in turn, left him alone with his thoughts. 'What did he mean more dangerous than evil? As if there exists such a thing. Dammit Oz, you have got to be the most cryptic son-of-a-bitch I've ever met.' He contemplated for a few moments before returning to his cigarette.

"Bollocks," were the only words that escaped his lips as he flicked a good four centimetres of ash and the adjoining filter into the midnight city.

 **There we have it. A little too much dialogue and narration for my liking, but how else is one supposed to give context? Here's hoping you liked it and remember, any and all reviews are welcome as well as appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sup. Although a littler later than I would have hoped, here's chapter 3. The reason for the delay is probably obvious by the length of this one. Had to write it in instalments just to save my brain from going kaput. Regardless, here it is. Please enjoy.**

Chapter 3: A Moment of Violence

 _ **Her early leaf's a flower;**_

As the piercing rays of the sun broke through parted curtains hanging in team RWBY's dorm room, all five members slowly rose out of bed and began their day. For the females in the group, this meant showering quickly and readying themselves for the classes ahead. For Owain, it meant relaxing in his cot with some obscure music blasting from his earphones. Due to prior training, as well as a disliking for all things educational, Ozpin saw to it that the young adult to be exempt from all classes, so long as he didn't hamper his team's progress. While the girls busied about with their morning routines, Owain simply lay, drumming a tune with one hand, the other limply hanging off the bed. Eventually, Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang were finished and waved to him from the door. As soon as they were out of sight, a hand reach under the wooden supports of the sleeping arrangement and a large axe of peculiar design was promptly placed on the dorm's carpet.

The weapon was of immaculate design. It was at least a metre in length and weighed approximately 5 kilograms. Its shaft was an amalgamation of wood and metal, with the hard steel starting from the tip ending just before the middle of the pole, a thin incision splitting it and allowing for the axe head to fold backwards. Owain was reluctant to add that feature at first, but he needed the ability to carry it in public with ease. Oak lined the rest of the shank down to its pommel and an acrylic grip was fashioned into the base. Finally, the axe's blade itself seemed to resemble that of a lochaber, designed with Owain's personality in mind: sharp and versatile. In all its entirety, the piece was a work of art. The young huntsman was immensely proud of the modifications he had made, however, he was still working on fixing some form of gun attachment to it, but he could never work out how to execute this, what with the slit in the metal portion of the shaft presenting a problem. 'How can a bullet be propelled through the weapon's length when there's a gaping hole in the bastard?' Once again Owain found himself lost in his head, inundated with schematics and blueprints detailing ways around the issue. Nevertheless, a swift motion forced the axe into his hand. After an audible click from the hinges, the head fell backwards and was nestled within the shaft. Owain placed it into the holster on the back of his coat (which he was now wearing) that, he too, had fashioned. Something lurked in the dark recesses of his mind as he stood up.

Like a weakened version of déjà vu.

Suddenly, it clicked.

'The click...' He pondered, before smiling to himself and remembering exactly what it reminded him of.

"Gods, I need a smoke." And with that, the plywood panels of team RWBY's door slammed sharply against its frame as the last remaining resident left the building and headed to the gym.

Beacon's training gymnasium had a cavernous air about it. One would often find themselves lost to time as they trained their muscles and their mind for many hours of their lives. Pristine walls, clean and cold, lined the perimeter of the building and, in the innermost sector, various equipment was laid out haphazardly around the room. For most, this place would be nothing but a way to alleviate boredom, but for Owain, it was the Shangri-La he never knew he needed. Seconds turned to minutes which in turn, morphed into countless hours as the warrior exhausted all of the training apparatus as well as his bones. Through several skylights, the moon could be witnessed peering through, its cracked disk greeting Owain's sweat-soaked form and spurring him to finish up.

He was ready.

Returning to team RWBY's dorm room for a short spell, Owain was surprised to see his fellow comrades gathered around each other playing some strange card game. With little regard for his presence, they sat complacently amusing themselves. It must be said that even though Owain was only slightly older than the girls, he often thought himself to be ancient in comparison.

"I'm going out guys. Don't wait up." His voice was only partially heard by his teammates and he ended his brief stay, leaving quicker than he entered. "By the way, Yang wins in three turns." Owain smiled to himself as several groans erupted from the room, decreasing in sound as the distance to the dorm grew.

Lampposts littered the commercial district of Vale, lighting the pavement that Owain walked upon, footsteps drowned out by the silent reverie buzzing around his brain. 'If not my team, then who else? Qrow? Nah, dude's probably too busy at Signal or down at the local pub. Tai? Haven't heard much from him in a while and I don't think he'd be all that supportive of my mission.' As every ally that the boy could think of flashed past, Owain struggled to come up with a solution to his not-going-it alone problem. 'Dammit! I could have asked team JNPR... but then, it's a little late for them. They do have classes in the morning.' Many onlookers would have assumed his direction to be aimless and without purpose, but Owain was taking a more direct route to the one place in Vale he called home. Some might call it a shortcut, albeit a dangerous one, as the path led through some of the more notoriously menacing alleyways and passages. 'Bollocks. There's never a competent combatant when you need one.' Far ahead in the direction Owain was travelling, a commotion could be heard but the huntsman was oblivious to it all. 'Who the hell am I kidding? It's not like I can advertise my mission with a big sign saying, "incredibly risky with no pay, could be fatal. Join now." No one's gonna just enlist them self into my crusade or pop out of thin air to help me.' At that moment, rambling thoughts ceased as they were interrupted by a fast moving creature bumping into Owain's shoulder. Although the irritating person caused him to lose his train of thought, Owain noticed something about the boy. For starters, he had a tail. But no, it was his rather toned abdomen that caught his eye. Additionally, he noticed a staff poking its way out of a the white coat in front of him. Sadly, the time for observation was cut short when two policeman jogged over to the both of them.

"Oh, uh, hi officers. Nice night don't ya think?" Nonchalance was not an ordinary trait around Vale. Lying, however, was as common as brown leaves in fall. They spotted it from a mile off.

"Look what we have here, a faunus who thinks he's funny. You mind telling us what you were doing running from that food stand a ways back that just got robbed?" The cop's accusatory tone, mixed with a seemingly discriminatory undertone, caused the accused to wince slightly, before rubbing his neck in an anxious fashion. Without wasting another moment, the faunus' mouth opened, no doubt to offer some ludicrous excuse or perhaps a plea for mercy, judging by the desperate look on his face. Yet he was cut short by another voice:

"My good friend here was just running an errand for me down near the docks, officer. He couldn't be your man." The police officer switched his gaze, finally acknowledging the existence of another person.

"You sure about that, kid?" His asserting eyes did not waver, save for the modicum of fear that presented itself as he failed to stare down the juvenile in front of him. Owain simply smiled, placing a hand delicately into his pocket and bringing forth a fraction of his wallet in the form of an indeterminate amount of lien, before swiftly tucking the slips of paper into the officer's jacket and patting it for good measure.

"Oh, I'm very sure, sir." Owain's smile had turned to a devilish smirk, not doubting his actions for a single second. Unfortunately, it must be said that the cops of Vale are equally as likely to accept a bribe than to arrest a criminal, maybe even more so. Sure enough, with a quick nod and an even quicker scan of the streets, the man patted his vest and let the allegation formed in his pupils contract into indifference.

"Right then. Very good. You two can continue, just stay out of trouble." Shortly afterwards, nothing but a stunned faunus and a monetarily broke human stood side-by-side on the pavement.

It was a good while before either of them broke the increasingly awkward silence.

"So... why'd you help me out just now?" Owain gleaned innocently and gave his answer,

"You seemed like you could use a hand..." Figuring it better to be brusque than to beat around the bush, he continued, "and I was wondering if you could help me. You seem like a capable person and judging from the staff in your left pocket, you know how to fight." The truth is, Owain knew just from a single glance that the faunus would be able to aid him.

"Depends on who I'm fightin'. The name's Sun by the way." He extended a hand to go along with his greeting and it was shaken firmly.

"Charmed, I'm sure." Usually, this was a sarcastic manner in which Owain met people, but this time, his demeanour was genuine. "I'm Owain. Now... have you heard of a man named Roman Torchwick?" Surprisingly, Sun's head waved in a way that could only be interpreted as a 'no'. A slightly dishevelled look appeared on Owain's face as he gestured for them to walk.

"He a bad guy?" The blond-haired male queried with an already innate feeling that he was right. Owain nodded. "Then I'll help if I can." Dishevelment disappeared and joy illuminated the ranger. He had a new partner.

'Looks like I found my Watson.'

* * *

Along the way, Owain filled his new-found ally in on the evil machinations of the villainous Mr. Torchwick, until their surroundings changed from shops and bars, to houses and gardens.

"Where are we?" The faunus' inexperience with the scenery forced Owain to ask the question:

"You've never been to Vale before, have you?" Sun explained that it was his first time and he was just visiting for the upcoming Vytal festival.

"Well, this is what you might call the residential area. Not many shops, just houses." They carried on walking, reaching a well-lit home that had no real significance to Sun, but for some reason, Owain stopped and peered through a window. A quiet expression washed over him. Emotions swelled and rose from within, resulting in a faint smile to be manufactured on his lips, before draining into sadness. He shook his head. And again. Eventually, he looked at Sun and signalled him to keep walking, pointing to a nearby store, a strange motif in the shape of a cigar hanging off one of its many awnings. A sign was written neatly on a chalkboard outside, proclaiming that this was "Topaz's Tobacco Emporium." Both men entered and questioned the proprietor, who was, as the sign did proclaim, Topaz. He clearly recognised Owain but not enough to deem it worth mentioning. He was an old man and his memory had clearly grown worse over the years. After showing Topaz a photograph of Roman, his expression changed drastically to that of fear. He nodded hesitantly and divulged some information about a warehouse not far from their current location in the industrial district. Owain and Sun thanked him graciously, leaving his store and heading beyond the river to their new destination.

"You think that guy was telling the truth?" Sun glanced sideways, unsure of the intel they had received. Owain hesitated slightly, as though he was reluctant to talk. Feeling the faunus' eyes on his back, he spoke up.

"I know Topaz. He doesn't believe in untruths." An odd word to choose, Sun thought. 'Untruths? Is that fancy talk for lies?' Despite the strange nature of his partner's vocabulary, he did not question it further, resigning himself to an understanding nod as they reached their journey's end. Three warehouses laced an old shipyard with the centre-most building being quite upscaled than its two brethren. The coupled huntsmen perched themselves on top of the closest warehouse, scouting the target. White Fang members roamed around freely, possibly assuming that cover of darkness would veil them, but Sun spotted them right away. Owain saw them too, but his gaze was still attuning the blackness, trying valiantly to search for a "redheaded tit with a bowler hat and a cane." His words when describing Roman to Sun.

"So... you think this is the place?"

"What do you think?" Owain whispered, simultaneously pointing to the crowd of heavily armed faunuses.

"Good point." Sun sat down on the roof, waiting for further instruction.

None came.

Silence filled the atmosphere and was immediately disturbed by a sharp intake of breath. The huntsman swivelled his head with worry, the noise catching him off guard. What he didn't expect to see was his ally standing casually with a cigarette sticking out from the corner of his mouth. Bemused, Sun stared at him for a moment until they locked eyes. Owain proceeded to remove the offending article and flick the ash from its tip.

"I take it you don't smoke?" Sun shook his head, a theme that was quickly becoming common for the boy. With a shrug and not much else to say, Owain resumed scanning the area, taking note of the hostility they might encounter.

"Some of my old friends back in Vacuo smoked but nah, I tried to avoid it." Although there was little movement from his partner, Sun could have sworn he was about to say something, but again, he didn't want to pester him with more questions. So, in his infinite wisdom, he asked a question. "What's the reason for it?" At this, Owain sighed and, with a deep husk to his already hushed tone, he sought to gratify his friend with an answer.

"There are a few reasons actually. The first being that it helps me relax. Secondly, it's something to do while I think of a plan, and thirdly... old habits are hard to break." He sighed once more, realising that his addiction was becoming all too clear at this point. Not wanting to make his discontent known, Owain distracted the faunus with a joke of sorts. "The way I see it, some people are smoking hot, while others are just smoking. I thought I'd mix the two." The ranger's face beamed at his own word-play, making a mental footnote to use that line on a girl at some point. Sun gave a small chuckle, standing up as he did so. This proved rather disastrously as the roof was still slick with rain from the night before, and the monkey faunus' foot slipped ungracefully, causing him to crash down onto the aluminium sheets, releasing a thunderous boom that carried across the cool breeze.

"Crap!" They yelled together, the huge wave of enemies now facing them, guns cocked and swords bared.

"There goes our element of surprise. You okay to fight?" Owain asked as he helped his uncoordinated friend up.

"Always." Was his reply and, after a short hop from roof to ground, the two of them were engaging in combat.

To his credit, Sun was a brilliant fighter, even after his ever so elegant trip, and Owain found himself admiring the speed with which he disposed of White Fang members with ease. He, himself, struggled somewhat. This had nothing to do with the overwhelming numbers (although there were many enemies), but instead, it was due to the fact that his weapon was incredibly lethal and these people didn't deserve to die for their middling crimes. Owain blocked an incoming sabre that sliced downwards with the blade of his own axe, twirling it around a full 180 degrees before smacking the adversary with the butt of his staff. With little-to-no-time to react, another sword was thrust toward him and, using the momentum from his last attack, Owain spun to meet the blade with his own and knocked the goon backwards with a swift kick to his stomach. The fighting raged on for a while as countless members of the White Fang spilled out of each warehouse. Sun managed to clear some space, using his staff to knock out a few of them in one quick motion, but it was obvious they were becoming overcrowded. Both fighters somehow ended up back to back, their vision filling with blurs of masks and weapons.

"Sun, now might be a good time to retreat." Owain didn't want to admit it, but the odds were not in their favor. Without saying a word, Sun activated his semblance and two spectral clones were dispatched, rushing through the crowd and ultimately creating a window for them to escape.

"What are you mutts doing out there?! Shouldn't you be off stealing more dust for me or something useful like that?" A familiar voice from behind caught Owain's attention. Just as he and Sun were about to rush off to safety, he turned and saw the face of the one man in all of Vale that he was searching for.

"Roman..." Needless to say, the notorious villain poked out from somewhere beneath the rabble and found the core of the commotion.

"Owain? Is that you? I could have sworn I killed you. Oh wait, no, that was your father." The young huntsman's eyes burned with a smouldering fire that probably could have lit the cigar Roman was holding, and his face contorted into anger. Noticing this, Roman corrected himself, "Sorry, I meant adopted father. Whatever," before a smirk graced his lips. Were it anyone else, they most likely would have charged the man then and there. But Owain wasn't a fool and he didn't rush in. Even with his audaciousness and immense skill, there was no chance. He looked back to see Sun making his way through the crowd and quickly followed suit, swearing under his breath:

"One day, Roman... One fucking day." The fire from his eyes faded rapidly as he delivered a near-fatal blow to the unfortunate faunus who tried to stop his escape. Violence, while not necessary, is very cathartic. Roman watched as the boy and the monkey-man (as he referred to them) sped away, looking disdainfully at his less than adequate henchman.

"Well? Get them!" The solid command spurred the mass of faunus to chase down the pair. Soon enough, they managed to catch up to Sun and Owain.

They glanced at one another, realising they were reaching a dead end, until Owain noticed an alleyway that they could use. As they entered he stopped.

"You go on. I'll head them off." Confidently, with his coat moving with him, Owain turned to face the onslaught of people.

"There's too many dude, you can't fight them." Staring back with a haughty grin, he waved Sun off.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. Oh, and you can be sure that they won't follow you. Now go!" With a groan, Sun did as he was instructed and ran along the alley into a clearing on the other side. It was mere seconds after when the White Fang arrived at Owain's feet, although the once huge horde had diminished quite a bit. They approached cautiously. The ranger did not move. No. Instead, he closed his eyes with that grin sending shivers down the encroaching enemies' spines. They were inches away and readying their weapons when suddenly, they ceased their march.

"Hey, where'd he go?" In an instant, they had lost him. He stood no more than a foot away and they acted as though he wasn't there. He didn't turn invisible. He didn't use camouflage to blend into the background and he didn't fade into smoke. He just stood there smiling. They thought that they had lost him, but then, thoughts are easily manipulated. One of the many specialities that Owain possessed. Ruby had her speed, Pyrrha could control magnets and Owain? He had mind over matter, in a more literal sense. Reading, suggesting, and even controlling thoughts. That was his semblance. Though it may seem like an incredibly powerful ability, it had its downside. First, it took many years of training and attuning his mind just to read a simple man's thoughts, but most of all, it took its toll. As soon as the crowd dissolved into nothing, Owain collapsed to his knees.

"That was too close." In all honesty, that was a new record for him. He'd only ever managed to control five people's thoughts at once and that was two years ago. Now he had just tricked at least twenty odd goons into believing he wasn't there. He was lucky it didn't damage him irreparably.

After resting in the alleyway for just under an hour, Owain decided it would be safe enough to move out. However, on the off-chance that he might be tailed all the way back to Beacon, he made his way to an old abandoned building. As a kid, he would often train here and show friends all the cool stuff he'd learned. Now, it was a make-shift haven to shelter him from enemies and rest his ever wearying head. Still, try as he might, Owain couldn't shake the memories this place brought him. Memories of a simpler time, when all he had to worry about was showing his two mentors that he had improved in his abilities and wasn't just using them to impress the ladies. Not that they would have done any different at his age.

'Still, I wonder how Qrow and Tai are nowadays.' His thoughts soon ended as he fell hard onto one of the few mattresses that hadn't been stolen, and thereafter, Owain drifted into an unconscious state. The final image that flashed before his eyes was that of his adopted father laying in a pool of his own blood and a face staring at Owain's own, albeit much younger.

The face belonged to Roman Torchwick, smirking without a hint of guilt for what he had done. A tired voice seeped out from Owain's mouth,

"One day, Roman."

 **Voila, another chapter done and dusted. Just a side note to ease any confused minds, due to this being the first time Sun is introduced into this narrative, team RWBY do not know him and subsequently do not know of Blake's faunus heritage. I know it's a bit bizarre but trust me, it's necessary for the progression of plot. Probably. Hope y'all enjoyed and, as always, any and all reviews are welcome as well as appreciated.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hola. Chapter 4 now up and ready. I'll be honest, I had a bit to drink before writing the middle section of this one, but obviously I've done my best to edit whilst sobriety is in effect. Other than my excuses, not much else to say, here's the latest chapter. Enjoy.**

Chapter 4: Here's to Life

 _ **But only so an hour.**_

Cool air permeated through broken windows and the cracked wood that sheltered the sleeping huntsman. It was late. Or early, depending on how you looked at it; four thirty AM and the 31st of October. Coldness weaved its way in and out of the building, lingering long enough to affect the temperature, but not enough for Owain to notice in his slumber. It would be a while before he roused from sleep. The exhaustion suffered the night before had strained his body and he needed rest. A few hours flew past as night turned to day, and eventually, closed eyelids snapped open and braced against the harsh light of the sun.

The walk/airship back to Beacon was uneventful, probably because of the man's groggy state, and without realising it, Owain was halfway to the dorm. Upon entering, he was a little shocked to find the contents of the room neatly tidied away and all the beds made, including his. There was naught but a whisper that four rambunctious teenagers resided here. Though, that could have been due to the complete lack of four teenagers within the dorm. It was a like a ghost town, only a lot smaller and with less tumble-weed. Owain withdrew from the living quarters and meandered the long corridors that led to Beacon's cafeteria, believing that to be the most likely place to find his team. Sure enough, both RWBY and JNPR were sat around a large rectangular table, wolfing down mass quantities of food. Team JNPR had lessons that morning but as soon as they were done, they headed out to meet their friends with as much speed as they could muster.

"Hey guys!" Owain's overly exuberant greeting was met with no response. "So.. uh, what are you doing?" This time, a growing aura of animosity shot from glaring eyes towards Owain. Only when the hostile bullet hit, did someone speak up; it was Yang.

" _We_ are celebrating Ruby's birthday. What are you doing?" Just like that, the penny dropped. 'Bollocks,' was the only thought that furnished Owain's otherwise empty head.

"Rubes, I'm sorry, I totally forgot it was today." Ruby's crestfallen face lifted slightly, her understanding nature shining through.

"It's okay, Owain, I know you've been really busy with Roman and everything." Her soft words of forgiveness cut deeper than any seething remark and the ranger grew infuriated with himself.

"No, it's not okay!" His statement was a little louder than intended and easily earned the exclamation mark. Locking his gaze with Ruby's and softening his voice, Owain began speaking once more, "Sorry for being an isolated prick. Ha-" He cut himself off, an idea forming quickly in his head, causing him to amend his unfinished sentence, "-Actually, I need to run a small errand. I'll be right back." In less than a microsecond, Owain turned on his heels and ran out the door, leaving a small cloud of dust in his absence.

"What's up with him?" Jaune asked, breaking the rising tension in the air. Yang and Blake both turned to speak, but were interrupted by the heiress next to them.

"He's been increasingly... distant lately." Sighing as she said so, Weiss answered Jaune and moved over to Ruby, friendly placing an arm on her drooping shoulder. Nora was the next to perk up, her jovial manner contradicting the atmosphere:

"Yeah, but isn't that his, y'know, thing?" She was right. In the few months that they had known him, Owain was distant and rarely spoke, seemingly always concentrated on some obscure goal that the others had no knowledge about. Even after that night when he returned to the dorm and told them about chasing down Roman and going to his home in Vale, he never followed up on it and continued in a secluded manner.

"I don't care." Three solitary words cut straight to the point that Yang was about to make. "I don't care if Owain's been distancing himself from us or not telling us where he goes, he's meant to be our teammate; our friend... and he didn't even know it was Ruby's 16th birthday. Which is pretty damn important, y'know." Where once lilac eyes sat, blood-red orbs pointed out from beneath her bangs, something that Jaune did not notice, otherwise he probably wouldn't have said anything next.

"It's not like he can read minds, Yang. Maybe he didn't know." The look that followed silenced Jaune from any further statements, but even in his forced quietness, he didn't understand why Yang was so upset.

Far from the drama that was happening in the cafeteria, Owain waited at a checkout counter, lien in hand. In front of him stood an older man that handed him his items in exchange for the money. After the successful purchase, Owain checked his scroll and murmured to himself,

"Let's hope this is enough."

* * *

As the sun tipped over against the western sky, the dormitory door opened to team RWBY's room and the laughing girls within came to an abrupt silence. Owain walked in solemnly and headed straight for Ruby. Extending his hand, within which sat a package, he unravelled it and passed it to the petite huntress. Yang glanced disapprovingly his way, having still not forgiven him for earlier that day. Unsure of whether to smile or not, Ruby cautiously clawed away at the box to find three items inside. The first was a single red rose, which was positioned on top of a suspiciously large case. Her lips curled upwards into the implication of a grin as she continued to unwrap her gift, relocating the rose onto the bed. Inside the case sat a dozen or more cookies, all freshly baked and still hot, seated next to a plastic container filled to the brim with strawberries. Ruby could not stop herself. A large smile painted her face as she consumed the pastries two at a time and nibbled at the occasional strawberry. Finally, there lay, in beautiful handwriting, a card at the bottom of the box, expressing a heartfelt apology. Upon reading it, Ruby felt droplets of tears well in her silver eyes. Owain returned a warm expression. After carefully moving the present out of the way, Ruby used her speed to jump into the boy's arms, hugging him tightly while screeching "thank you" at the top of her voice.

An overwhelming emotion crept its way from Owain's head to his heart. He started to feel something new and inexperienced. He couldn't place the feeling, and so tried to ignore it for the time being.

"Happy birthday Rubes. I know I haven't really been the best teammate as of late, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna let a stupid vengeance trip affect me like this. So..." Owain pried Ruby from his figure and clapped his hands together, "...city of Vale, anyone? My treat." Their ambivalent countenance altered and soon, all of team RWBY prepared to set out for the afternoon. Yang still appeared to look unhappy with the huntsman, but after stealing a glance at the card he had written, she developed a new-found respect for him.

For the remainder of the day, Owain and co toured the streets of Vale's commercial district, indulging in coffee shops and clothes stores, much to the adolescent male's chagrin, but it was Ruby's birthday after all. Sitting down to dine at a posh-looking restaurant (in which Weiss paid), the group of allies enjoyed their time in each other's company. As the clock ticked on and sunlight began to diminish, Ruby angled herself to converse with her sister in a moderately serious manner.

"Can we go visit mom after?" Her cute tone didn't suit the sad expression she was wearing, but Yang agreed to it, pulling out her keys to Bumblebee. Although it may seem a little maudlin, it was a tradition between the girls to visit Summer's grave on their birthdays. They would talk about life and school and how Tai was doing and if Zwei had been up to shenanigans again.

"You guys mind if I come?"

Both girls looked at Owain quizzically.

"Uhh, I guess. Don't know how we're gonna fit three people on one bike though." Ruby's eyes shot upwards and to the right as her hands made thoughtful gestures, clearly trying to figure out a way to solve the problem, but Owain was quick to help her.

"It's okay, I can drive us there in my car. Probably safer than that claptrap you call a motorcycle... No offence." He waved his arms around in a surrendering manner, noticing the agitation pulsating from Yang at the insult to her baby. Not long after the conversation had ended, the quintet finished their meals and Owain drove Blake and Weiss to the nearest airship. They exited the vehicle and waved off their friends, Weiss reminding Owain to drive safely. The ride to the cliff-side wasn't too far, the only difficulty was finding a place to park. Once that was out of the way, the two sisters ambled through tall grass to the engraved stone slab with Owain walking cautiously behind them. Yang was the first to talk to Summer, giving a speech about Beacon and all the baddies they had fought. She kept it short, knowing that Ruby was eager to speak to her mother. The scythe-wielder stood for at least half an hour, detailing every event that came to mind, even some minor details such as her mini explosion on her first day. Meanwhile, Owain noticed her friend becoming more and more tearful.

He lay a hand on her shoulder. She turned to him, cheeks red and eyes puffy. Although she didn't say it, Ruby was glad that Owain's tall body hid her from Yang's view. Holding her hand, the older huntsman comforted the small girl,

"My mum and dad died when I was six years old, and my adopted father was killed not too long ago." He spoke with a distinct softness, which Ruby couldn't gauge, and she just felt more sad at the news.

"I-I'm sorry..." She dropped her head, causing Owain to grimace slightly. Clearly, he hadn't gotten to the comforting part yet.

"No that's no-" He sighed, "What I mean to say is, I understand how hard it can be to lose the ones you love. I've dealt with a lot of loss in my life, but I'm reminded every day that just because someone isn't here, it doesn't mean that they're gone." Owain placed a finger underneath Ruby's chin and lifted her head, "You make a place for them, right here." He gestured to his chest, "And here," then again to his head. "In loving them, they remain in your heart, and by remembering them, they live on in your memory." For the second time that day, Ruby hugged him, her tears wetting the collar of his coat. "You have to keep moving forward, Rubes... for her."

"Thank you..." Ruby's sadness lined the very sound waves as she spoke before she gradually let go of his coat. The ranger turned to the gravestone and knelt, tracing the name "Summer" with his finger, before speaking once more, "Hi, Summer. I'm Owain... one of Ruby's friends, not sure if she mentioned me. You've got an amazing daughter here. Two of them in fact. If you could see them now, I bet you'd be the proudest mother ever. You must have been one hell of a woman to keep up with them. I just want you to know that I'll do my best to look out for them, no matter what." Parting his coat with his right hand, Owain pulled out the rose he gave to Ruby and smiled, before gently placing it at the foot of the memorial.

"You know," Ruby sniffled and wiped away a few tears, "I think she would have really liked you." She then sat down next to Owain, her eyelids closing ever so slightly. Catching her as she fell forward, Owain picked her up and walked over to Yang.

"She's exhausted. I'm gonna put her in the car so she can get some shuteye." The blonde huntress just nodded and stared at the rose on the ground. She lost herself for a few minutes before being awoken by Owain's presence next to her.

"Sorry if I was a little cranky about you forgetting Ruby's birthday." Now it was Yang's turn to feel emotional as she exhaled weakly. "It's just, she's my little sister y'know? It means a lot to her and when I saw how she reacted when you forgot... it just hurt me to see her like that." Owain noticed a stray hair fall out of line and into Yang's eyes and, without even meaning to, he lifted a delicate finger to rectify the error. Normally, the touching of Yang's hair was punishable by death, but in this instance, she actually allowed the contact.

"I understand, love. You wanna protect her and see her happy. I think I'm starting to get that now." Offering a warm look, Owain comprehended her need to look out for Ruby, because he felt it too. She was like the little sister he never had. His vision was suddenly obstructed by blonde hair as Yang leaned in to kiss him lightly on the cheek,

"Thanks for being so amazing with her today, after everything. You're a nice guy, Owain." Her words and kiss sent a shiver through the boy's spine, his entire nervous system standing on edge as the gorgeous girl in front of him held his hand in hers.

Night quickly gathered and the couple quickly departed, not wanting to linger too long.

All that could be heard along the journey back to Beacon was the fain snoring of a small girl, cuddled up in her red cape, cookie crumbs littering her outfit.

Owain turned his head to look at the sleeping huntress and whispered,

"Goodnight, Ruby."

 **Would you look at that, all snuggled and cute towards the end. You know that means next chapter something terrible is gonna happen. Maybe. Probably not. We'll see. Anyway, this was a bit of a taxing chapter to write, purely cause I was doing it on the weekend where I usually get drunk, but nevertheless, I am happy with it. I hope you guys are too. Any and all reviews are welcome as well as appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Buenos dias or buenas noches depending on where you live. Chapter 5 is here and just begging to be read, metaphorically of course. I know it's been a little while (exactly a week) since the last one, and I apologise. There a lot of things going on currently so I had to write this whenever I had a free moment, which wasn't often. Anyway, here it is and I hope you enjoy.**

Chapter 5: Toe-to-Toe

 _ **Then leaf subsides to leaf.**_

In a different part of Vale a few hours prior, Weiss and Blake walked into Beacon, conversing en route.

"So Blake, I must ask, why are you always wearing that bow?" Weiss' eyes narrowed in on her partner, scrutiny favoring her gaze.

"I think it compliments the rest of my outfit very well." The response was a little hesitant, but satisfying nonetheless. The heiress 'hmmphed' in approval.

"Well, at least I'm not the only one on our team with a coordinated fashion sense." They continued in silence until reaching the dormitory. Both girls settled in for the night, awaiting their teammates to return.

Night approached as the rest of team RWBY found their way back to Beacon. Ruby was still asleep and being carried bridal style by Owain. He entered the dorm with Yang behind him. Weiss jumped out of bed and hurriedly walked over to them,

"Is she okay?" The girl's worry was evident in her voice. Owain lay the small huntress on her mattress and smiled at Weiss.

"She's fine, just had a tiring day." He retreated to his own corner of the room and made himself comfortable.

"I guess it has been a wonderful birthday." The heiress laid a soft hand on her partner's sleeping form and whispered to herself. Blake looked up from one of her novels, a candle burning brightly next to her.

"I think the rest of us should also turn in for the night. It has been an eventful day." There were no complaints to her suggestion and her companions complied, readying themselves for bed and eventually nodding off.

The next day dawned and, seeing as it was one without any classes, team RWBY and Owain spent the morning talking in their room, the conversation steering towards Roman. The girls asked Owain what had happened on the night he left to go find the man he'd been searching for.

After much deliberation, he decided to fill them in, redacting as much sensitive information as he could. This wasn't the same as the night before, where he could use his rough childhood as anecdotal consolation to empathise with a distraught Ruby. It felt more like an interrogation.

"How'd you get away? Sounds like there were a lot of them." Yang quizzed the huntsman and, with great reluctance, he informed them of his semblance. Understandably, they were a little shocked.

"So... it's like an advanced form of telepathy?" Blake was curious. Mainly, she wanted to know how powerful Owain's ability was, but his monosyllabic nature kicked in. He didn't like talking about it. As much as he enjoyed the power he had, it came with responsibility. Invading one's mind was... intrusive to say the least, and his semblance was regarded by him as a last resort measure. Or impressing women. Although, arbitrary usage of this ability had died down somewhat as he aged and when he realised that interfering with people's mental state for too long can cause some dangerous side effects. Returning to the interrogation, he answered:

"More or less."

"You can read minds and sometimes control them?" Ruby was intrigued and needed to know more.

"That would be the more." Owain sighed, becoming all too aware that this conversation would go on for a bit longer than he appreciated.

"But it exhausts your body and mind to a certain extent?" Now Weiss was joining in with the 20 questions.

"And that would be the less." His exhalation of breath was rapidly turning into groans of frustration, "Look guys, I know you're all interested in what I may or may not be capable of, but could we maybe not question me like I'm some alien from another world?" Realising their militaristic-like questioning had been too much for the man, they backed off and briskly found another topic for discussion. Suddenly, Weiss burst out an expletive, much to the surprise of those around her, before apologising and explicating the reason behind it.

"I totally forgot to buy some more dust for Myrtenaster yesterday and I'm running low." Owain stood up and pulled his coat of its hanger, taking out the keys pocketed inside and twirling them round with a smile.

"I'll take you. I've been wanting to try out some dust infusions for my baby. Now is as good a time as any." That wasn't the only reason. Weiss was the one person in the group that Owain felt the least connected to; he saw this trip as an opportunity for the two of them to bond as teammates. This was crucial when considering his lack of presence recently.

It was a warm day in Vale. Most of the citizens were dressed casually with shorts and sunglasses making plenty of appearances. For Weiss, the weather was tolerable, but the ice queen's preference for all things cold made the shopping trip a little uncomfortable. However, it was soon made distressing when a man browsing the dust shop chose to harass her in public. The ignorant tune bellowing from his character pierced Weiss' ears like a sharp nail being repeatedly hammered in without a steady hand to guide it. He made his problem known and the heiress was forced to retaliate. Onlookers became worried as the row became progressively louder in volume and more abusive in vocabulary.

"You Schnee's are all the same: You're dirty and corrupt and you ruin people's lives! My brother was a good man. A hard-working lad who only wanted to please your father and the rich pricks around him. Then one day he was accused of stealing, and do you know what happened to him?" Weiss looked around nervously, knowing all too well the method with which her father meted out 'justice'. "Yeah you know. He was sent to one of those damn dust mines you're all so fond of. And then a few weeks later I get a call telling me my brother is dead. All because of you and your fucking family." It was clear that no amount of apologies or condolences from Weiss would affect the man's vitriolic tirade. In a different time, she would have resorted to offering him money as compensation, but in this circumstance, it would have only made matters worse. Luckily for Weiss and unbeknownst to her, she had backup.

"Excuse me, mate. Couldn't help but overhear the argument you're having." Owain slowly stepped his way onto the scene with a mind to diffuse the situation before it got out of hand. "Can you tell me exactly what the problem is?" The man just pointed at Weiss, a mixture of sadness and hatred showing in his eyes.

" _She_ is..." Trading a look between the angry fellow and his teammate, Owain began to sympathise in an odd way.

"Ahh, I see. So, let me see if I have this right, she shares the same last name as the man who gave the order that resulted in your brother's untimely demise, and so, in your infinite wisdom, you deem it fair to blame her for the actions of someone she is not, nor does she have any control over?" After hearing this, the aggressive man blinked a few thousand times. Owain was spot on... perhaps a little too well. The only sound in the dust shop was comprised of heavy breathing from the man as he attempted a rebuttal,

"Um... yes?" This was not a statement. Despite being fuelled by adrenaline and rage, the aggressor had no way of arguing the counterpoint.

"You think that just because she is a Schnee, she has inherited her father's corrupt and cruel nature alongside his legacy?" Owain's voice grew less sympathetic with every syllable.

"Yes..." The man squeaked out.

"May I offer you _my_ opinion on the matter?" The huntsman's frame grew tall and he was fully squared up against his opponent. To his question came a slight and frightened nod.

What proceeded was a loud cracking sound and the man's vision was immediately directed to the ceiling as he was knocked backwards, clutching his jaw in agony.

Weiss gasped in shock as Owain turned to the man behind the register, gave him a healthy amount of lien for his troubles, and then walked out of the store, taking Weiss' dainty hand in his before they hurried off with their combined shopping. When they were a few streets clear of the dust shop, the ice queen stopped and stared at Owain.

"Why did you do that?" Her words were hard to read. It wasn't obvious as to whether she was mad or thankful. The older huntsman bowed his head in faux shame, trying desperately to hide the mischievous smirk that would soon arrive. But out of nowhere, he lifted his head and, with a serious expression, he answered:

"I haven't told any of you about what happened to my parents, have I?" Weiss cocked her head to one side, before shaking it. "They worked in a dust mine in Vacuo... and one day, it collapsed." His voice cracked a little as he took a steady breath. "It took maybe a few hours to dig their bodies out of the rubble. But it felt more like a few decades. Just like that, my entire childhood was crushed and buried. Nothing left but dust and echoes." A ray from the sun cast a large shadow against Owain's face. "So, for the longest time, I spent my days dreaming of how I would take down the Schnee dust company and anyone associated with it for taking my family from me. I didn't think it was possible for so much rage to come from such a small boy." His fists clenched and he gritted his teeth. "When I met you, there were no words to describe how ecstatic I was that I could finally enact vengeance. But I didn't. I saw who you were, and the things you did; how you accepted Ruby as team leader, how you vowed to be the best teammate you could be..." Owain's body relaxed and the tension from his arms dissolved. "I knew then that you were nothing like your father. You're better than him." Weiss seemed more shocked after hearing this then when Owain punched the man who was harassing her. Her eyes screamed 'I'm sorry' and a tear formed. All she could do was hug her saddened friend, mouthing gratitude as she held him.

Then, after a short while, the two of them broke apart and began heading back to the academy.

* * *

As the big ball of flaming gas found itself dropping below the outlined horizon, Yang sat alone in the temperate dorm, thinking about a single thought that had been weighing on her since the night prior.

'Owain'.

She spoke his name aloud, tasting the words on her tongue as she swirled it around her mouth, imagining his personality and the body that it housed. Her mind wandered back to his presence on top of the cliff-side, the way his stubble prickled her lips when she connected them to his cheek; how, even though she was known for being every word synonymous with heat, he radiated a warmth that rivalled her own. Yang raised her hand and traced the outline of Owain's face in the air, as though he was next to her. She shook her head, the blonde curls of her hair bouncing around the place. 'What's wrong with me? Why the hell am I sat here crushing over some dude I barely know? Is it because he was so good with Ruby? Dammit!'. She groaned loudly.

Her soliloquy was cut short by the entrance of Weiss and the man she was fantasising about. Yang could feel the redness on her cheeks as Owain walked in. However, she quickly became concerned when his downtrodden demeanour ambled in and dropped off the bags. Weiss declared she was going to take a shower, but Yang took no notice, waving her off and moving over to Owain's bed where he sat. Sounds of running water broke the emptiness of the room. Yang lay a hand on the toned shoulder belonging to the ranger and asked what was wrong. With a broken face, he explained everything that had transcribed and how it had led to an emotional heart-to-heart with the heiress. All the memories and past feelings that he had pushed down were slowly being dredged up in the swamp of sentiment that was his head. Owain lay back, his skull hitting the not-so-soft pillow below him. The blonde girl mirrored his movement, lying down and trying her best to console him.

As the clock tick tocked on the desk, both bodies were pressed lightly together in a comfortable sense and Yang searched for the words she knew Owain needed, but they weren't there. So instead, she sat up and cradled his head onto her lap, allowing him to sleep.

Thirty minutes later, Weiss exited the bathroom and spied upon the couple who were both fast asleep at this point. An eyebrow raised itself high and she chuckled, before placing a blanket on the two of them.

"Sleep well you two. You're going to regret this when Blake and Ruby come back..." Her whisper fused with the air and she sat down to study.

Much later, Blake and Ruby arrived and their contrasting expressions screamed volumes. Ruby eyes were glazed as she fawned over how cute Owain and her sister looked all cuddled up, whereas Blake...

Blake glared viciously at Owain's frame then switching to Yang's. She hardened her gaze, her mind reeling. One single voice in her mind spoke out:

'You traitor.'

 **And there you have it. Hopefully that sufficed. Some chapters write themselves and this was not one of them, but I liked it nonetheless. I just hope y'all did too. I'm sure you know the tune by now; any and all reviews are welcome as well as appreciated.**


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